Electric heating device.



E. I. OVINGTON.

ELECTRIC HEATING DEVICE.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 4.1912.

1 141 ,576 I I Patented June 1, 1915.

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EDWARD J. ovmeron, or nnooxnnn, massaonnsnms; ASSIGNOB TO ,smrnnx ELECTRIC nna'rmeeonrnmr, or. CAMBRIDGE, uassacnnsnr'rs, A comm- TION OF MASSACHUSETTS.

ELEQTBIC HEATING- DEVICE.

Toall whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Enwann J. OVINGTON, a citizen of the United States, and resident of Brookline, county of Norfolk, State of Massachusetts, have invented an Improvement in Electric Heating Devices, of which the following description, in connection with the accompanying drawings, is a specification, likeletters' on the drawings representinserted'in a body of water, or other, en-' veloping substance, to heat the same.

A prime feature of my invention consists in an improved arrangement of a projecting means in connection with a trigger adapted to forcibly disconnect the circuit connections upon the arrival of predetermined conditions, the trigger being arranged to normally'hold such projecting means inactive.

A further feature of the invention consists in an improved construction of toggle device shown asin the form of a diaphragm, adapted to be controlled by thermal conditions and to act upon the trigger controller of the circuit disconnecting means.

A still further feature of the invention relates to an improved construction, wherein expansion of a gas, liquid or solid, caused by abnormal thermal conditions in the device, is adapted to bring about operation of the circuit disconnecting means.

A further feature of the invention relates to the use of water of crystallization toproduce steam which acts to release the mech anism. Water of crystallization is-not liberated into steam until a-temperature11s reached more or less above the boiling point following detailed description, taken in con- Speciflcation of Letters Patent. 7

Application fled June 4, 1912. Serial No. 701,582.

Referring to the drawings, Figure 1 is a side elevation of my improved device, partly in section, with the parts shown in circuit d sconnecting position; Fig. 2 is a central vertical section on line 2-2 of Fig. 1, showing the parts in circuit closed position; and

Fig. 2. Y A heat radiating element is shown at 10 as an inverted cup or bell shaped member of metal plate stock, having a neck 11 at its top into which extends a tube 12 at the top of which is fitted a reduced neck 13 at the bottom of a shallow cu shaped member 14. The member 10 has tted therein any suitable form of electric resistance device to transform electric current energy into heat. Such heating means is shown as a usual resistance wire or band 15 embedded in enamel or the like, 16. Themember 10 is, however, well adapted to receive a heating resistance element of the types shown ber 10 may be closed bya plate 17 over '60 Fig. 3 is a transverse section on line 33 of which the end of the member 10 maybe spun as seen at 18, and a suitable coatin .or finish applied over the exterior of t ese members covering the same smoothly, tightly and firmly. Current ener is supplied to the resistance wire or rib on 15 by I conductors 19, which extend up through the tube 12. A small tube 20 also extends from the lower ortion of the member 10 up through this tu 12 to a point within .the shallow cup 14 as shown, and the annular space. between the small tube 20 and the tube 12 is preferably packed in with any suitable insulating material 21. The shallow cup 14 has fixed thereto a U-shaped bracket or strap support 22 having sideportions xtending upward and .united by a top portion 23, which carries an insulating disk block 24,.which has fitted therein the terminal plugs or pins 25, 26,1;0 which the respective cond lctorsv 19 lead, as shown. The support 22 is-div ded as shown to provide between its ,two sidesv guide. slots 27 within which the .ends of a. cross bar 28 fit, the ends of thisbar projecting some little distance beyond the guide sup 'ort, as. seen ant -29v wherethey are .enga e by a stout I coil spring; 30 which is sea at-the bottom of cup. 14 and normally presses upward with 'cpnsiderable force against the bar 28., This pivoted at 32 to a supporting bracket -33 carried by and secured to the flanged and enlarged upperend 34 of the tube 12, as illustrated 1n Fig. 2. The bracket 33 also is provided with a guiding hole for the reduced lower end of an ejector pin 35, which is guided at its upper end in a guiding aperture 3,6 in the top portion 23 of support 22 and is acted upon by the bar 28 when the spring 30 is released'to forcibly'move u ward and engage a projection 37 on t e lower end of a contact plug 38, toiloroibly press the same outward and disconnect the socket contacts 39, 40 thereof from the contact pins 25, 26, Tllhe contact plug 38 is shown as fitted in a sleeve cover 41 which fits downward overthe block 24 and against the cup 14 to inclose and protect, the operative parts,

As av means for operating the trigger 31 to cause the same to be tripped and release the contact plug ejecting spring'30, ll pro-"v vide, as shown, a diaphragm 42', preferably of thin flexible metal, normally dished downward and held at its edges by spun over portions 43 at the periphery of the en'- larged upper end 340i tube l2.- The trigger 31 has a downwardly extending arm 44 normally restin upon or adjacent to thetop' of this diaphragm when the trigger is inlocking position, and adapted to be engaged by the diaphragm to trip the trigger from 'its locking osition over the bar28 upon the occurrence of abnormal thermal conditions, such as to cause the diaphragm 42 tabs flexed ,upward. lit is to heunderstoodthat this member, shown as a diaphragm 42, is

really in the nature of a toggle device, and while specifically shown as a diaphragm is intended to typifyany suitable device having asimilar mechanical operation; 1 pro vide means whereby the diaphragm 42 is acted upon from beneath, upon the occurrence of an abnormal thermal condition to flex the same upward, i. a, so that its dish is upward instead ofdownward. This result maybe efiected by the generation of a steam pressure in the interior of the memher 10 which, passing up through the tube 20, will act on the lowerside of the'dia-Z phragm 42. It is also within the scope of O my invention that the tube 2Omay typify a metallic element adapted to itself'expand,

differentially. enough to press the dia phragm past its neutral position by acting directly or indirectly thereagainst, but such a construction is not my preferred form and is not, therefore, herein i lustrated; llt is to be understood that in practice the radiating member 10, along withpartot for action,

mantra the tube 12, is immersed in a body of? water or the like, which by conducting the heat away as fast as it is generated, keeps the temperature of the member 10 relatively lOW,.0I not far above the boiling point of the liquid. However, when the device is removed from the water or other surrounding body and laid aside, it the user neglects to disconnect the connector plug 38, the device will heat up very rapidly, since the heat In the use of gas pressure passing up 7 through the tube 20 and acting on the lower side of the diaphragm, it is not necessary that any outside water he admitted to the interior of the member 10, since the water of crystallization in the refractory core of insulating material will furnish enough steam, and this has the advanta e of not being set free in the operation of tie device,

up to or slightly above the boiling point of.

free water.

I am aware that various of the details of construction as described may be modified without departing from the spirit of the invention, and I therefore do not desire to be limited in these or in any other respects, except as set forth in the appended claims.

Having described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters latent is: a

Apparatus of the kind described, comprlsmg means for transforming electric current energy into heat, circuit connections tion with provision for holding the same normally inactive, and means operable by abnormal pressure conditions in the appa thereto h ving a 'disconnectible portion,

ratus for releasing said disconnecting means 2. Apparatus of the kind described, com prising means for transforming current energy into heat, circuit connections thereto having a disconnectible element, means for eflecting the disconnection of such element, a trigger for holding said means normally inactive, and means operated by expansion within the apparatus under abnormal thermal conditions for. tripping said trigger to release said disconnecting means. a

3. Apparatus of the kind described, comprising an electric resistance element, circuit connections thereto having a disconnectible 5. Apparatus of the kind described, com-- prising an electric resistance element, circuit connections thereto having a disconnectible portion, motive means for disconnecting said portion having a trigger control normally holding the same inactive, and a toggle device arranged to be operated by expansion within the apparatus for governing said eration o trigger,

6. Apparatus of the kind described, comprising an electric resistance element, circuit connection'sthereto including a disconnector plug, 'a spring for disconnecting said lug having a trigger control to normally old the same inactive, a diaphragm of stiff material and dished form adapted to serve as a toggle arranged to govern said trigger, and means for applying fluid pressure to operate said diaphragm.

7. Apparatus of the kind described, comprising an electric resistance element having circuit connections, including a disconnector plug, a spring adapted to act on said plug for disconnecting the same having a controlling trigger, and a diaphragm in position to operate said trigger, the parts being arranfged to provide space for the gensteam to act on said diaphragm and there being connections to lead the steam thereto.

8. Apparatus of the kind described, comprising an electricresistance element hav-' ing a housing of inverted cup shape, a tube extending vertically from said housing, a

second housing connector plug removably fitted to said terminalconnections, a sprin said-second housing adapte to disconnect fitted to. the top of said tube and having fixed thereto terminalconnections for the resistance element, a circuit.

said plug, a controlling trigger for said spring to hold the same normally inactive, and means for releasing said trigger upon the occurrenceof abnormal thermal condi-- tions in the apparatus.

9. Apparatus of the kind described, comprising an electric resistance element having a housing of inverted cup shape, a tube eX- tending vertically from saidhousing, a second housing fitted to the top of said tube and having fixed thereto terminal connec tions for the resistance element, a circuit connector plug removably fitted to said terminal connections, a spring fitted within said second housing adapted to disconnect said plug, a controlling trig er for said spring to hold the same normal y inactive, a dished diaphragm of stiff material in position to act on said trigger, and connections for conveying fluid pressure generated by abnormal thermal conditions in the appa-V ratus to act on said diaphragm.

10. Apparatus of the kind described, comprising electric heating means, terminals therefor having separable connections, a disconnector arranged to separate said connections, means for holding said disconnector normally inactive, with provision for holding water of crystallization in thermal contact with said heating means, the parts he ing so arranged as to cause such Waterof crystallization to create a pressure when the device is run under abnormal conditions, and meansoperable by the pressure so created for releasing said disconnector.

11. An electric heater having a circuit opening device associated therewith, comprising a toggle joint, and means expansible by heat operating through said toggle joint g for operating the circuit opening device. v 12. An electric heater having a circuit opening device associated therewith, comprising a diaphragm, and means expansible by heat operating through said diaphragm to release the circuit opening device. I

' In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification, in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

EDWARD Witnesses:

O. L. Rooms, R. G; Hnnsrir.

JJFOVIINGTON. 

